[Results of treatment after different surgical procedures for management of acromioclavicular joint dislocation].

Sixty-four patients underwent surgery for acromioclavicular (AC) disruption, Tossy type III, at the Department of Surgery, University of Heidelberg, between January 1983 and May 1990. Surgery consisted of a suture of the AC and coracoclavicular ligaments. Fixation of the joint was achieved with three different techniques: tension band wire with two Kirschner wires, special hook-plate (Wolter), double tension band fixation using polydioxanon (PDS) cordula. The early postoperative complication rate was higher following tension band wires (42.9%) and hook plate (58.3%) than after tension band PDS cordula (16.7%). The patients were re-examined after an average of 35.3 months. An instability of the AC joint was found in 31.8% of patients with tension band wire, 50.0% of patients with Wolter plate, and 23.8% of patients with tension band PDS cordula. The comparison of these results with those after conservative treatment, as reported in the literature, emphasizes the need for limiting surgery to young adults and athletes. The long term results of AC joint fixation are better using PDS cordula than tension band wire or hook plate. PDS cordula has the additional advantages, that dislocation and fracture of metal implants do not occur, and metal removal is avoided. Therefore, tension PDS cordula is associated with a marked reduction of the overall hospitalization period. Further improvements of results of AC joint fixation can be expected using the described technique of double tension band PDS cordula.